Safety, any experience that might prevent a spill or any road accidents.

The first time I encountered rain grooves in a road was somewhere in a hilly region of northern New York. I found that my bike (I'm pretty sure it was my '75 XS650B) wanted to jerk back and forth across the lane - quite alarming actually.

I stopped for gas and there was a New York State Trooper at the pump beside me. We chatted about the rain grooves and I said that I'd never ridden on them before and it felt pretty weird. He suggested simply relaxing my grip on the bars a bit - and let the steering head oscillate just a little. The overall path of the bike would be straighter than if I tried to hold it steady - and so I tried it and he was absolutely correct.
 
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MaxPete : I did that with my 1100cc I thought it was because it's unusally big tires idin't know it worked with all bikes , Thanks!
Bob........
 
Crosswinds! Another good one..
The best crosswind was on the plains of western ND, the kind of gusts that turn trucks (and there were a lot of them) over. Nothing happened though, so no story... I slowed way down to lessen the sting which didn't happen though... And was riding sideways, like 50 degrees.
 
When Riding in rain and icy conditions and even snow I change my riding method to one of Dirt riding... "keeping the bike in balance at all costs"
and I throw my weigh about quite a bit just keeping the back wheel under me ! although I do not recomend Riding in the snow or ice covered roads it can be done.... it's just not adviseable even on the best of days ! while dating my wife before we were married I got cought in the snow 30 miles from home.... it started snowing at her house !!! I wasted no time getting on the road and covered as much ground as possable while the road was still dark black.... but that changed when I came to the first mountian.... and there were 3 to get over to get home.... the first mountian was slick near the top no doubt about that but the bike bit through the snow for traction fairly well..... the 2nd mountian there was paches of snow packed on the freeway
in the slow lane where the tire tracks were those things were really bad I slowed to about 30mph then to 20mph and then to 1st gear just to keep the bike from sliding out from under me ! I played pivot around the stearing bearings all the way to the top of the 3rd hill as the 2nd and 3rd mountian are close together...... all of this was more or less flat and up hill at a very steep angle , but going down was the worst I didn't dare use the front brake
and the back just wasn't slowing me down very much I was breaking my own trail through the snow ( now about 3" deep) and there was hardly any trafic on the road ..... I tried to keep my speed 30mph or less but going down a steep hill it simply wanted to go faster I shifted into 3rd and stayed off the throttle and let it idle and it slowly began to get enough traction with the wheel almost matching the speed to slow me down a bit.....
I idled in 3rd most the rest of the way home I was never so glad to see that dirt road that went to the Ranch in my life soon as it hit the dirt road the traction returned ! ..... My mother smacked me when I arived ! and said where were you 3 hours ago when this snow started ? it was 4" deep at the ranch ! ..... my feet were sore from standing on the pegs for so long and I figure it took me about 2 hrs to get home ! ....
but what I did was stand on the pegs and put the handle bars close to my hips to let the back of the bike hunt for traction and still keep the balance
it wasn't easy and I almost lost it about 6 times... but I never fell down.... in the worst of the slipperyness I stopped and looked at the rear tire and it was not packed... I like my tires kind'a soft anyway so they flex when you bounce on them.... so I just kept on going !....
its much easier to do this with a lighter machine like a 250single or maybe a 125cc .... but a street machine isn't designed to be ridden like that
but it did get me home, and the poor 305 honda was very Hot ! I learned my lesson well and never went up there when there was a chance of snow again..... the packed snow in the tire tracks almost got me several times because the front tire lost traction when I hit them only by luck and the good lord watching over me did I make it without falling ! it was touch and go the whole trip home ....AND COLD !!!! by the time I made it to the dirt road drive way (2 miles long) i was soo cold it was unreal.... my hands and feet lost their feeling way back at the first mountian ! my face shield was almost useless as it fogged up badly so I cracked it open about an inch.... my nose was so cold I thought I'ed have frost bite !
so if your ever caught in the snow...check into a motel ,....... its a really dangerous and hard journey home in the snow !
Bob..........
 
^You have good stories. One part of it reminded me there's a steep gravel road I'm on now and then, which is slick in its own way, Coming down, after the first or second time, I started doing it with the motor off and in gear, walking the bike and using the clutch for the brake. With the engine on and walking it you only have the front brake, which you can't use, so...
 
I've had two TIF accidents spaced about ten years apart. The first one got my attention and I really paid attention for about ten years. Then I got complacent again. WHAM. Now I'm about in the eighth year since the second TIF. Trying hard to maintain my diligence. Trying hard to not day dream when riding. Trying hard to be humble. Trying hard to remember that nobody can see me. Trying hard to avoid all the idiots that are trying to kill me. Trying hard to not get emotional (mad) with all the close calls. Trying hard to always have an escape path. Trying hard to keep the bike in good safe condition. Trying hard to remember what happened eight years ago and keep remembering for the next two years. Then. Who knows? I'll keep trying.

Note: TIF = Turned In Front in a left turn. The most common accident. Can also be from a side road or driveway.
 
That is what I had...TIF. I am pretty sure that what happened to me was local to my area at the time (happened in Massachusetts). So...driver taking a left; but oncoming traffic in his lane (far right across my lane). So what happens is; when there are a mass amount of cars coming from the direction of choice, the drivers will pull out into the lane closest to them (my lane). What happens is the people in the near lane (the opposite direction of where the driver wants to go aka: MY LANE) have to stop because the driver is in the way...so eventually the people on the other side of the road (his lane) stop and let the person in, because they are causing a back up. Only thing was he didn't see me. Pulled out in front of me. **BE WEARY OF LEFT HAND TURNING CARS** I always tense up when I see anyone looking to go left. I haven't see that yet in Wisconsin, but that doesn't mean I won't be prepared for it. BTW, no escape route in my scenario.
 
About two weeks ago a nice young 17 year old kid from our church died on his first bike when some clod did a TIF on a residential street. It was reported in the paper this morning that this 47 year old @sshole minivan driver was unlicensed and uninsured.

To bad we don't have a button on the handlebar, right next to the horn, that would instantaneously change our motorcycles into 1974 Cadillac Eldorados or even city buses - for use when someone does a TIF.....

Cell_Phone - Better Driver.png


That would serve as an example for other inattentive drivers, it would be fun - and it would even the score, plus it would improve the average IQ of the municipality.....

TwoMany - how about THAT for your next electronics project?

Pete
 
Um, that'd be metaphorical elephant's feet (not real elephants, that'd be cruel) as in "unexpected road hazard"?
Although if you do go down soft sand is a better landing surface than hard pavement.
Up here the road surface hazard in Spring and early Summer is the Winter gravel they haven't swept up yet.
In Fall it's the trees' newly shed leaves that gather in a slippery wet layer to dump the unsuspecting at street corners.
Winter (apart from a few hardy souls) is bike maintenance & storage season.
 
Yup - wet leaves are like greased ice in my experience (don't ask me how I know that....)
 
About two weeks ago a nice young 17 year old kid from our church died on his first bike when some clod did a TIF on a residential street. It was reported in the paper this morning that this 47 year old @sshole minivan driver was unlicensed and uninsured.

To bad we don't have a button on the handlebar, right next to the horn, that would instantaneously change our motorcycles into 1974 Cadillac Eldorados or even city buses - for use when someone does a TIF.....

View attachment 97825

That would serve as an example for other inattentive drivers, it would be fun - and it would even the score, plus it would improve the average IQ of the municipality.....

TwoMany - how about THAT for your next electronics project?

Pete
Hi Pete,
sorry about that kid. Betcha the arsehole driver got BOTH wrists slapped for that one.
Never mind better justice, I want more revenge.
And I gotta get that Tee-shirt.
Even if the slogan writer can't spell "ARSE" and has omitted the question mark.
 
Indeed Fred - the stupid prick will probably get a charge of dangerous driving reduced to improper LH turn and a $387 fine.

I just hope he "slips in the shower" a few times in jail.
 
...To bad we don't have a button on the handlebar, right next to the horn, that would instantaneously change our motorcycles into 1974 Cadillac Eldorados or even city buses - for use when someone does a TIF.....

That would serve as an example for other inattentive drivers, it would be fun - and it would even the score, plus it would improve the average IQ of the municipality.....

TwoMany - how about THAT for your next electronics project?

I dunno, Pete. My matter transformer currently has a 4 gram limit.

But, I DO like the idea. Something like Leonard's mailbox prank on Sheldon:

THIS thing is both serious, and hilarious:

And, for you guyz that are all wound-up on 60's album covers:
 
There is some great technology starting to emerge. Thanks for sharing 2M.

The key to getting costs down however is for it to gain widespread acceptance and that often takes a government mandate such what has evolved with seatbelts, airbags, helmets and so-on. I do not like undue government interference in my life, but....

....on the other hand, flipping a switch tech and instantly going into "Cadillac Eldorado" mode would also be fun (although those old 60-70s land yachts didn't actually do very well in crash tests, even compared to modern lighterweight sedans).
 
....on the other hand, flipping a switch tech and instantly going into "Cadillac Eldorado" mode would also be fun (although those old 60-70s land yachts didn't actually do very well in crash tests, even compared to modern lighterweight sedans).
Hi Pete,
the thing is, most motorists are not deliberate murderers who'd drive out in front of a bike but stop for a land barge.
They are stupid people who are unaware of other vehicles.
They'd as blindly T-bone a land barge as they would a motorcycle.
So that while a virtual land barge wouldn't deter them from committing negligent homicide a real one would hopefully cause them serious harm.
The only defence against those mobile morons is extreme vigilance.
Alas that the shaped charge on a long stick on the front of one's bike isn't just impractical, there's doubtless some over-protective law against it.
 
I do like Union Pacific locomotive variant even better than a big Cadillac - perhaps for the Mk II version of the Anti-TIF Protector with the available "Go ahead numbnuts - do you feel lucky today?" module.

As for the shaped charge on a pole ala the CSA Hunley submarine attack on the Merrimack - oh yes Fred, that sounds ideal too!
 
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